D S I R September Issue 2019
Nirvair Singh comments on Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie. The latest addition to Quentin Tarantino’s oeuvre “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a movie that had insurmountable expectations, considering its ultra-famous cast and crew. However, the numbers and the reviews seemed to have shattered these expectations. The storyline was deficient somewhere, but the film played an alternative role: picturising the Hollywood of 1969.The film, which was released 50 years after 1969, was able to give the audience a glimpse of the quintessential ‘Hollywood lifestyle’ through the eyes of the actor-stuntman duo, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Right from the word go, the film is all about making the audience feel like they are back in 1969: be it the Ford Mustangs, Dean Martin films or the hippie culture. The constant hum of the LA radio which goes- “it’s 5 o’clock in Los Angeles” and the flashbacks to Dalton’s Western films and TV shows help establish the Zeitgeist. All of these cinematographic elements help to give the movie more depth and
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colour. It never hurts to play up Los Angeles’ iconic street art or the movie billboards along the roads. Three-time Oscar-winner Robert Richardson does this seamlessly and quite frankly, it is these cinematographic elements that give the movie the ‘zing’ which its plot seems to lack.The spirit of the times is especially iconic because 1969 was on the cusp of The Golden Age and The New Hollywood Movement, both eradefining in their own right. In 1969 the New Hollywood movement had just taken root and the classic era had come to an end. The New Hollywood Movement is regarded as a renaissance for the industry with a new generation of filmmakers directing films that broke convention. Films like ‘The Graduate’ and ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ replaced ‘The Magnificent Seven’ and ‘Django’, with the coming of directors like Mike Nichols and Roman Polanski. During the first half of the film, the duo is cruising around L.A. trying to get casted, which, at the time, is a herculean task for Dalton- a former Western actor and ageing star. Dalton Picture Credits:The Daily Beast and Pixabay
and Booth find it increasingly difficult to fit into this new world order. Dalton goes from his southern cowboy stovepipes in the cancelled TV show Bounty Law to a hippie black leather jacket in new Hollywood films. This transformation is used by Tarantino to appreciate the Golden Age of Hollywood which comes to an end with the turn of the decade. This explains the rather long flashbacks into Dalton’s previous western films. Due to this paradigm shift in the industry, Dalton- like all others- faces an actor-character dilemma. This means that the directors are hesitant to cast him because he had become associated with the conventional character of a southern cowboy. This strong association of actors with the characters they played was an issue which was prevalent at the time and an issue which is relevant even today. 40 years after The Godfather II released, we still associate Robert De
Niro with Vito Corleone or John Travolta with Vincent Vega (in Pulp Fiction). In the first half, the movie discusses the impacts of such a paradigm shift, however as the second half comes along, we see a transition from appreciation to revenge fantasy. Booth gets involved with a young woman from a commune just outside Los Angeles; the Manson Family. Here is where the archetypical Tarantino revenge fantasy begins. This family was a group of hippies who engaged in substance abuse and cultish practices. Around 6 of these hippies murdered Sharon Tate, an actress and the wife of director Roman Polanski. In this film, Cliff Booth goes and visits the Manson commune and catches on to the abnormal, cult-like activities that go on there. Having been exposed, the cult members come to Dalton’s house, which happens to be next-door to Sharon Tate’s house, to find and kill Booth. The duo does manage to kill the hippies, altering the
How Fox failed the X-Men
course of history. Sharon Tate acts as a foil character for Dalton and Booth because it is her decisions which govern part of their narrative. However, for a foil character, Tate’s character is under-developed and could have benefited from some more characterisation. This revenge fantasy is something one can see in other Tarantino films like ‘Inglorious Bastards’, wherein Tarantino switches the roles of the victim and the perpetrator to, in his own way, deliver ‘poetic justice’.
Agam Bhatia analyses the journey of the X- Men under Fox Entertainment. Almost every great comic book has a lowest point, it plummets down to the abyss before rising again to a point of no return, where all seems lost and
In doing all this, Tarantino delves into a multitude of sub-narratives and there no longer remains a central plotline. Tarantino develops the relationship between Dalton and Booth to a great extent, making their correlation as protagonists very significant. However, as the movie progresses, they are separated into two distinct plotlines. Booth is off exploring the Manson commune, while Dalton deals with an eccentric director. Tarantino continuously switches between these two narratives. This becomes quite confusing, much like Pulp Fiction did, and the iconic actor-stuntman duo seems to disintegrate. But, in some way, DiCaprio and Pitt’s excellent acting does make up for this.
there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Marvel, too, like the plot of the comic books it sold, went through a similar phase in 1996, when it experienced bankruptcy and was on the verge of closing down. To avoid their ill fate though, Marvel sold the rights of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to Fox entertainment, in order to clear its debts. However, while this deal might not have been seen as a big loss in 1996, when you review this deal 23 years on, it feels as if Marvel lost out on a ‘what could have been’ Avengers. The opportunist Fox couldn’t see the ‘X’ factor in these mutants which significantly contributed to a
With regard to the series’ latest and presumably last movie which released earlier this year, it could be said that the numbers accurately reflect the movie. But before we look any further into this movie, it’s important to understand the context behind the story of the Phoenix. It’s important to realise that the story of Jean Grey (Phoenix) is by far the X-Men’s most famous, awe-inducing and iconic arc, even surpassing that of Wolverine. It’s the story of an innocent girl who is consumed by her own powers and eventually turns against her own friends, the X-Men. Therefore, one could understand, why Fox would use this as a pretext and produced the story twice: the first time being in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ (2006). However, the challenge that comes with remaking famous stories like these is to bring out the uniqueness in the movie, the
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with its stellar cast and impeccable cinematography, may not have gotten the appropriate reviews or viewership because of its ambiguous storyline, but it did win hearts when it came to depicting Los Angeles in 1969. It gave the audience a peek into the lives of those who live up on that hill, at a time where its identity was about to change for good.
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Picture Credits: Letterboxd
wasted X- Men franchise, which would have otherwise topped box-office charts. The X-Men, when they made their debut in Lee’s comics were extremely popular, to the extent that they came to define the pop culture of that time up till the end of the 20th century. So, the question arises, what went wrong with the movies then? After all, the series started off quite well, especially with ‘The First Class’. Then, however, it gradually depreciated to end at its lowest boxoffice opening with ‘The Dark Phoenix’. The answer though, is not as straightforward as the downward sloping graph these movies show. There is no one factor to blame here. Rather, it’s a combination of several factors at play, the most notable one being Fox’s lack of enthusiasm in making these movies.
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Picture Credits: PNG Arts
Picture Credits: Wbur
task of making it distinct from everything that has come before it, including the storytelling itself. Having said that, Dark Phoenix doesn’t deviate much, if at all. It’s nothing more than the same old plot of “More power makes Jean unstable, eventually turning her against her own family”. In fact, even this isn’t explored completely, owing to the various other themes that Fox tries to run parallel to it, including Mystique’s death, Xavier’s change in attitude, whether or not there is a life beyond for the X-Men and an unheard race of villains who want to rule the world. The outcome is an unsatisfying movie that neither evokes tension nor attachment towards the Phoenix, both of which should have been primary aims of director and writer Simon Kinberg. It was a movie that begged for more nuanced and original scriptwriting and was undone by the lack of it. Moreover, it follows the trend of being another emotionless X-men movie. There is no clear origin story of Grey that is shown, let alone an insight into her emotions and personality. It’s quite striking in a movie that is supposed to be centered around powerful emotions, especially in terms of the pivotal transformation of Jean. None of the X-men, except Cyclops(who’s in love with Jean), shows any sort of emotional attachment towards her, which makes the idea of them saving her, difficult to grasp. Instead of giving the X men more screen time and dialogues (Quicksilver and Storm hardly speak) with the Phoenix, Fox and Simon Kinberg somehow found it more reasonable to include a significant X men’s death and an
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Picture Credits: Marvel Hub
origin story of a new villain. But to talk about the series as a whole, Fox needed to realise that the X men are more than just a bunch of powerful mutants that showcase their skills movie after movie. They needed to understand that the X-Men are defined by more than just their powers. They are family. They are a team. They are united for one reason or the other, whether for being abandoned by their previous family, or for being different or even for rediscovering themselves when coming into Charles Xavier’s school. It’s what makes them click, but more importantly, it’s what makes them care for and protect each other. The X men are not just the stories of Logan, Magneto, Professor X and to some extent of Mystique, who have been centres of storylines of every X-men movie. Instead, the X men is a collective story of other individual characters that also exist such as Nightcrawler, Storm, Cyclops, Hank and Quicksilver, who have continuously been reduced to tertiary roles, given fewer dialogues and hence considerably fewer emotions and screen time, often rendering them insignificant. Furthermore, it is important to realise that there is no one protagonist in the X-Men, they are equal and together. Fox ignores this detail very conveniently when it makes Logan(concerning Wolverine), X-Men (Wolverine and Magneto), X2 (Wolverine) and a few others. Not to say that Fox hasn’t excelled at making some of these movies, but what’s problematic is that these movies concern only a selected few, special X-Men. It’s a disappointment for longtime fans like myself but more
importantly, it’s a disservice to Quicksilver, Storm, Cyclops and other students at Charles Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters who haven’t been shown aptly onscreen.
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Perhaps with Marvel’s reacquisition of film rights earlier this year, there’s hope that the X-Men will finally be represented as what they are. Maybe, just maybe, some characters will be given a reason to exist that goes beyond showing off their powers. It’s not as easy though, with the complications that come with what’s already been done. But what’s important is that there is still light at the end of the tunnel, there’s still hope that they too can rise from the ashes like the Phoenix and that they can for once, after two decades, be shown as a family in more than just comic books.
Vir Bhatia pens down his thoughts on the recently released Disney remake.
TRIVIA 1 James Earl Jones, Hans Zimmer, Elton John, and Tim Rice are the only people who worked both in the animated ‘Lion King’ back in 1994, and the one released in 2019, as the voice of Mufasa, the composer of the film, and songwriters respectively.
2 The Lion King, before it was remade, was the first disney movie to feature an original story line. 5
Like most human beings with a normal childhood, I could barely contain my excitement when the trailer for a live-action remake of Disney’s crown jewel, The Lion King, was released in early April. I was bursting in anticipation of the experience of revisiting all of the iconic emotions the original film made me feel like I had a decade ago. The thought of seeing the conniving Scar, or carefree Timon, and that too more in their life-like forms was extremely enticing.. Personally, I felt that the 2019 edition of the Lion King was a shadow of its former self, though not so much so that its quality is beyond the scope of debate. The movie has divided opinions as to what its actual purpose was. Was it to evoke nostalgia in those who grew up on the first movie, or was it to treat an entire new generation to the ‘Disney Classic experience’, which seems to be gradually eroding with time. Evidence suggests that the latter is more accurate. For one thing, Walt Disney is strongly rumoured to have put
in his will that all Disney Classics should be remade every ten years in order for them to be enjoyed by the next generation of children. Furthermore, the fact that the script for the 2019 film is practically a word-forword replica of the original makes it seem unlikely that Disney reproduced the film only for it to be enjoyed by the same audience as before. Hence, I make all of my assessments pertaining to the success, or lack thereof, of the movie on the assumption that it was made to appeal to the “next generation” of Disney fans. The primary reason for which I feel that the Lion King recreation was inadequate is the failure on the part of the filmmakers to evoke the same emotion in those watching the film as it did the first time. In part, I blame this on the decision to make the film a live-action one. The live-action gimmick worked fine with other movies, like Aladdin, because they featured a human cast, for the most part. Human facial expressions and body language
Picture Credits: Gizmodo
are able to convey emotions and messages to us in a way that animals simply can’t do, and the fact that these expressions were entirely absent from the film took away a lot from the gravity of the scenes being performed. This wasn’t a problem before, as animators could simply play around with their character’s visual features and recreate the emotional signals we are familiar with, yet the new instalment clearly leaves a gap in this area. This, along with several minor changes in the script, such as the circumstances surrounding Simba’s presence in the gorge preceding the stampede and the tragic events that follow, also add unnecessary distractions to what should be the most engaging, iconic moments of the film. For these reasons, I believe that younger audiences won’t experience the same things that my peers and I did when we witnessed the unfolding of this incredible story for the first time. There are many, however, who disagree with this view, and who believe that the more recent version of the classic is also the superior one. It is arguable,
REVIEW Yash Adalti discusses Samantha Shannon’s critically acclaimed novel. that the voice acting was more expertly executed, and filled, in part, the void that the visual blandness of the movie created. Notable members of the cast include Donald Glover, Beyonce, John Oliver, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Keegan Michael Key, all of whom did tremendously well to bring life to their character’s lines. JD McCrary surprised many with his energetic delivery of the character of “Young Simba”, and James Earl Jones also retained his role as the voice actor for the legendary Mufasa. Beyond the delivery of their spoken lines, the cast also nailed practically every song on the spectacular soundtrack of the film, balancing their accuracy in depicting their
How I first encountered‘The Priory of the Orange Tree’, by Samantha Shanon was, surprisingly, through a bookmark. The bookmark had struck me as uncharacteristically large and needlessly bulky, and thus remained in my memory. Later, at a book fair I managed to get my hands on this book, upon reading it I was overjoyed to discover such a fresh turn in the world of fiction.
characters perfectly with their ability to sing on-pitch. They made the film a delight to view for many, and more bearable for sceptics like myself. Although one can’t say with absolute certainty whether the movie is a success or not, I am glad I watched it. Remakes of this sort don’t only bring back memories, but also prompt viewers to revisit the broader themes they present, with more mature eyes and minds. Twentyfive years after the original Lion King, this remake remains an iconic relic of pop culture, that deserves to be remembered and reimagined in the way that it has been.
“The book depicts the desperation of people in need of help, the good in us to help them, and guilt experienced because of their actions” It has a well thought out plot which doesn’t confuse itself with all its twists and turns that are caused because of its changing character perspectives. Her story features a whole host of victims, ranging from what can be called a dragon-rider to a doctor who has been exiled due to his delusions of immortality. The book depicts the desperation of people in need of help, the good in us to help them, and guilt experienced because of their actions. The author makes us understand the characters, and lets us see the maelstrom of emotions that they are struggling with, so that when disaster decides to strike, we’re well prepared to jump off the sofa and yell “NO!”. This is only because of the bond the writer develops between the reader and the characters.
Poll
32% Can’t Say
27% Remake
Original Lion King
41%
Favourite Lion King Movie
434 members of the school community were polled.
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Picture Credits:The News Recorder
The book features talking animals and magic trees (which grant immortality to the first person who eats their fruit), much like other works of high fantasy fiction. However it is unique because it features a whole new view on dragons that I’ve never encountered in any other book; a view that regards them as superior creatures, beings to be worshipped.
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Picture Credits: Amazon
The Priory of The Orange Tree draws its stories from folk tales and myths found all over the world, adding to the book’s lush diversity in environment, as well as the cultures found on different continents. This book does not fail to deliver in terms of advancement of the plot and character development. However, as I neared the end of the book I couldn’t help but feel… let down. It seemed as though she had simply given up at trying to even write the book and just wrote what needed to be written to end the book without completely ruining it. The big bad monster which had been foreshadowed the entire
book and was feared by all, was struck down in only a handful of pages. Whereas negotiations or a simple exchange of gossip in the royal courtroom lasted longer than that. After reading the book and putting it down, I was left with questions regarding the ending and why it was so terribly written, but I was mainly disappointed about how the author could have thought that her readers would be satisfied with a simple “monster comes, weak point found, monster killed”. In a nutshell, while I was left with an intense feeling of dissatisfaction after putting the book down, I was also simultaneously pacified because the author had the courage to broach topics like sexuality and to include characters who weren’t made to same mould as every other character in the genre. Overall, I would recommend
Picture Credits:Wikipedia Commons
Witness for the Prosecution
members of the audience. In fact, the jury comprises, solely members of the audience. One is left aghast with the realistic acting and the infrequent and unexpected screams from an actor sitting in the audience, who then gets thrown out by the court bailiff. These clever twists and turns intensify the dramatic content of the play. The attire of the customary court uniform, with the criminal judge wearing the conventional wig and robes and the two QCs in their long gowns and wigs add to the performance. The stage is particularly small as part of the play takes place in the aisles. The change of scenes occurs in a methodical manner with the performing actors making themselves useful by carrying the
beautiful furniture during their entry. The occasional darkness accompanied by a chilling tune left the audience gasping in their seats.The lights and sound effects are fascinatingly in sync with the mood of the play, it is bright in the courtroom but becomes dark and bleak when the setting changes. Furthermore, each seat is fitted with a small speaker which emits a cacophony of sounds behind the person, which adds to the entire experience immensely.
The play is one with innumerable twists, which unfold only towards the end. The true nature of the characters is slowly revealed through their actions. Justice is done, but in the most unanticipated manner. The play ends on a note, wherein the supposedly flawless English judicial system seemingly fails to deliver. Although not as popular as Mousetrap, this Christie play has been imaginatively staged by Bailey, truly displaying her ingenuity as a story-teller.
“One is left aghast with the realistic acting and the infrequent and unexpected screams from an actor sitting in the audience, who then gets thrown out by the court bailiff.”
Gurmehar Bedi reviews the play by Agatha Christie. Lucy Bailey, the renowned director at West End, has directed a true masterpiece- The ‘Witness for the Prosecution’, by Agatha Christie. It is set in the London County Hall, which is situated opposite the Houses of Parliament. The stage is set in the central octagonal council chamber. It turns out to be an intense and gripping story of passion, justice, and betrayal, in a unique courtroom setting. The tale revolves around an old woman who is found dead. A young man, who is the last person to see her alive is accused of the murder, with the premeditated intent of inheriting her wealth. His trial is conducted at a criminal court in London and the prosecution is led by one of the most renowned Counsels
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of the Queen. While there are many witnesses giving their testimonies, only one of them actually matters. The one who can give him a rock-solid alibi is also the one who can put him behind bars. It is his wife. She is the witness for the prosecution. The accused presumes that nothing can go wrong for him as his own wife will testify in his favour, but as the play unfolds, all does not proceed as expected. There is an unexpected turn of events, which leaves the audience on the edge of their seats until the last moment. The setting serves to heighten the theatricality of the play, leading us to believe that we are actually in the Old Bailey. This is reinforced by Mic Pool’s sound design and William Dudley’s set which
enhance the quality of Bailey’s production. The performance of the actors was phenomenal and their gestures were truly fascinating, particularly those of the two opposing QCs. Sir Wilfrid Robarts played by Simon Dutton, the smooth and suave defence counsel of the flamboyant accused, Leonard Vole (played by Lewis Cope).The prosecution conducted by the wily Mr. Myers and QC (played by Giles Taylor) adds spice to the drama. British actors are known to enact the roles of witty lawyers with compelling ease; this play is testimony to the fact. Romaine Vole, the guileful, Germanic wife of the accused (played by Carolyn Stoltz) keeps the audience engaged with her acting skills. The actors occasionally interact with the
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Picture Credits:Wikipedia Commons
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Karan Sampath
Chief-of-Production Divyansh Nautiyal
Heads of Design Ameya Shawak Krishnav Singhal One Good Deed
By David Baldacci
Editors
Recursion
By Blake Crouch
Ansh Raj Aarsh Ashdhir Karthik Subbiah
Trick Mirror
By Jia Talentino
Associate Editors Armaan Batta Nirvair Singh Vir Bhatia
Popular Books Last Witnesses Outfox Red Metal
Graphic Editors By Svetlana Alexievich By Sandra Brown By Mark Greaney
Arav Dixit Armaan Rathi Yashasvi Jain
Correspondents Agam Bhatia Ivor Ismail Kabir Subbiah
Junior Correspondents Gurmehar Bedi Shreyan Mittal Picture Credits:The Freedom Line, Dlpng
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Faculty Advisor Malvika Kala